Wagner Farm Community Garden: July 2015

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Dear Gardeners,

Don’t let the gardening fun end. You can plant a variety of vegetables, herbs, and flowers from seed RIGHT NOW! If you have plants that are failing, don’t give up! Pull them out and start with one of the suggestions below. You can also plant any of these if you have harvested some of your crops already and you have some space in your garden. Make your garden plot a 3 season garden. These plants sprout quickly and will be ready to harvest for a fall crop.

Planting Suggestions:

• Arugula (rocket)

• Beans

• Broccoli (transplants)

• Cabbage

• Carrots

• Cauliflower (transplants)

• Chard

• Endive

• Fennel

• Kale

• Kohlrabi

• Lettuce

• Mizuna ("water greens")

• Mustard greens

• Onions (bunching--standard onions harvested before they form bulbs).

• Pak choi (Bok choy)

• Radishes

• Spinach

• Turnips

• Coriander (cilantro)

Suggested Flowers:

• Sunflowers

• Cosmos

• Zinnias

Happy Gardening!

Alyssa

Tuesday, July 7, 2015

FREE Tomato Pruning Demonstration

Learn to prune your tomato plants for optimal health and fruit production. Pruning your tomato plants helps to prevent disease. It also helps the plant concentrate more energy on its blossoms and fruit for a better crop and an earlier harvest. Join me to learn more!

When: Saturday, July 11- 12:30
Where: Wagner Farm Community Garden- Plot C5

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What's This?

FieldWatch is a nonprofit organization that is intended to help pesticide applicators and specialty crop growers communicate more effectively. The site registers certified organic gardens and their beehives. This information is provided to crop dusting (pesticide) applicators to let them know the location of organic gardens. They use this information to plan their routes accordingly. Our sign alerts them to keep pesticides away! The Wagner Farm Community Garden and our Wagner beehives are registered as organic sites through FieldWatch.

Q&A

Q: Are cocoa shells allowed as mulch in the community garden?

A: YES! Cocoa shell mulch (also called cocoa bean mulch) is great for gardens. These shells have a sweet smell and look very neat in your garden bed. When cocoa beans are roasted, their shells separate. Roasting the beans sterilizes the shells. Therefore, the shells are weed free and organic. If you are interested in using them in your plot, ask for them at your favorite garden center.

Negatives-When cocoa mulch gets too wet and does not have time to dry between waterings or rainfalls, it can attract pests. Also, in hot, humid weather, the cocoa shells can develop a harmless mold. You can use a mixture of 25% water and 75% vinegar as a spray to get rid of the mold.

*CAUTION- Do not use cocoa bean mulch at home if you have dogs. This sweet mulch can be toxic to dogs if eaten.

Biggest Gardening Mistakes:

Biggest Gardening Mistakes:

1. Planting too soon-The weather forecast shows nighttime temperatures below 50º through next weekend. You are taking a risk if you plant your warm weather crops such as tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, basil, zucchini, etc.

2. Not hardening off your plants-Plants that have been grown in your house or in a greenhouse need to be “hardened off”. This means they need to gradually get use to the outdoor temperature, sun, and wind before being planted outside. Ask if your plants have been hardened off at your favorite garden store. Check online to see how to harden off your plants.

3. Improper Spacing-Your seedlings look so small and cute right now, but they will be huge! Read plant tags and seed packages for recommendations on plant spacing. Proper spacing will ensure better air circulation which leads to healthier plants and better production. Planting things too close together will make your plants more susceptible to disease. It will also make it difficult to harvest your veggies.

4. Not staking plants-It is important to stake your plants. This will promote proper air circulation and will help prevent disease. Staking is especially important because we have overhead sprinklers.

5. Not weeding-Weeds compete with your veggies for valuable nutrients and space. Some weeds even send out growth inhibitors that stunt the growth of your plants. You will get a weed warning in the Community Garden if you decide not to weed.